Fish-farm foes press talks with premier

Coalition of First Nations ‘increasingly anxious,’ with a dozen tenures set to expire

A coalition of First Nations who want fish farms removed from their traditional territories is getting “increasingly anxious” waiting for a meeting with Premier John Horgan.

The ‘Namgis, Kwikwasut’inuxw Haxwa’mis, Dzawada’enuxw, Mamalilikala and Gwawaenuk — five of the 17 Kwakwaka’wakw First Nations of northern Vancouver Island and the nearby mainland coast — first met with Horgan in Alert Bay on Oct. 10.

“We hosted him in our Big House, we delivered our message and he offered to have a followup meeting,” said Bob Chamberlin, the elected chief councillor of the Kwikwasut’inuxw Haxwa’mis First Nation.

The First Nations have gone back and forth with provincial officials, but, one month later, they are still waiting on that meeting, he said.

The urgency is created by the impending expiry of more than a dozen fish-farm tenures in the Broughton Archipelago in June.

The coalition wants the province to decline their renewal.

Some companies, such as Marine Harvest, have operated in the area for more than 30 years.

But opposition has mounted from critics who fear the farms risk spreading parasites and pathogens to already-threatened wild stocks.

The coalition says the province’s recent commitment to the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples means it should be meeting with Indigenous groups, nation-to-nation.

“We are wanting, of course, to work with the government — and work with the government to realize their commitment to the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples,” Chamberlin said.

Indigenous and non-Indigenous protestors have occupied three Marine Harvest fish farms in the Broughton Archipelago.

Thursday marked Day 100 of the Swanson Island occupation.

Jen Holmwood, deputy communications director for the office of the premier, said several ministries have been in communication with Chamberlin and the federal government to schedule a followup meeting with the five First Nations.

“They hope to confirm a date soon,” she said.